February 26, 2009
Glenmore Elementary Presents Raise Your Voice to Aid Ugandan Students
KELOWNA, BC: Students at Glenmore Elementary will be presenting a gala night of song and dance at the Kelowna Community Theatre on April 14, 2009 in an effort to raise $20,000 to create a bookmobile for children in and around Kampala, Uganda.
Glenmore Elementary students will sing traditional African songs, accompanied by theatrical puppetry and dance, at 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Although tickets are by donation, organizers hope to raise $20 per seat for both shows, with all of the money going towards Niteo Kids (www.niteoafrica.org), a Kelowna-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides support and resources for students in Uganda.
Last year, the school raised close to $2,000 for the effort through their Christmas performance of “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. Glenmore music teacher Rhonda Draper, one of the event organizers along with teacher Erika van Oyen, decided they needed to do more to reach their target sooner.
“We did the Charlie Brown Christmas and we had $2,000 come in, and we all felt so great about that,” says Draper. “Until I was laying there, on Christmas morning, and I thought ‘$2,000? That’s not enough! We have to raise $20,000’ because that’s what the book mobile costs!”
“I came back and spoke to the kids after Christmas holidays and I said ‘You know, if we do it at this rate, it’ll take 10 years to raise the money! That means the kids that are your age now – 10, 11, 12 years old – will be 20, 21 or 22 before they have a chance to get access to books and resources. They won’t have a chance to read anything’.”
“Last year, our focus at school was ‘Glenmore Cares... for the environment’. This year it’s ‘Glenmore Cares... for others.’ We’re working from the global to the granular. We have done other service projects – we’re the number one school for Jump Rope for Heart in the province – but since we have this connection with Uganda and Niteo, we thought we would go for it and the students are thrilled.”
The lesson the students will learn is that a small effort here can make a huge difference for people who have almost nothing. “You sing some songs... and kids in another country can suddenly learn to read, and have access to books... it’s amazing! We have so much, and by making a small sacrifice, the students learn that they can make something incredible happen,” says Draper.
Co-organizer and Glenmore teacher Erika van Oyen, who also sits on the Board of Directors for Niteo Africa, says that their goal is to raise $20 for each seat. Tickets are available at local coffee shops and at the school. “In these constrained economic times, it may be a challenge to raise the full amount,” says van Oyen, “and so we are actively searching for support from community groups and businesses. We welcome sponsorship or donations.”
“In addition, each ticket purchased for $20 or more is eligible for a tax receipt because it’s a charitable donation,” she said. “Ultimately, we would like to raise more than $20,000 so we can also pay for insurance, driver training, and gasoline in Uganda.”
In 2008, van Oyen was one of several Kelowna teachers who went to Uganda as a volunteer to help create a resource centre in Kampala. Over the course of 10 days, volunteers converted a private home to a mini-library complete with a computer lab and a shipping container full of books and resources. The experience led van Oyen to join Niteo Africa as a board member and take a more active role in their initiatives.
“The students and teachers were so thankful for the things we brought to them,” says van Oyen. “One of the African schools I worked in had 1,000 high school students with barely 200 books – the library was a tiny closet. Now, thanks to the generosity of the Okanagan residents, they have over 5,000 books to access at the Eva Ruf Resource Centre (www.niteoafrica.org). It’s great for the students in Kampala, but there are many schools outside the city centre who still have nothing. This bookmobile would be able to travel to outlying communities and bring them the gift of literacy. It would truly be a life-changing experience for the students.”
Approved by the Superintendent on February 25, 2009
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For comments, please contact:
Erika van Oyen, Teacher, Glenmore Elementary, (250) 762-3209
Rhonda Draper, Teacher, Glenmore Elementary, (250) 762-3209
Mike Roberts, Superintendent of Schools (250) 860-8888
For background information, please contact Lisa Harrison lharriso@sd23.bc.ca or 470-3284.